Re: [RE-wrenches] Charging AGM Batteries

[Marv Dargatz]

SMA absolutely operates solely on Batt SOC.  In fact, the Germans pride themselves on their "superior" SOC management, and have convinced some battery manufacturers to extend the battery warranty based on this "superior" SOC management. See Ya! Marv Enphase Energy 707 763-4784 x7016 Darryl Thayer wrote: I agree absolutly. But Outback and Apollo are the only systems that monitor and control on SOC. Apollo can operate a relay, and Outback can change settings using the FMDC. I think both systems with a few tweeks are the better way to handel AGM. DARRYL --- On Sat, 9/19/09, Hugh <h...@scoraigwind.co.uk> wrote: From: Hugh <h...@scoraigwind.co.uk> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Charging AGM Batteries To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009, 4:21 AM It seems to me that you really need to have a controller that monitors the state of charge in order to do a good job of recharging sealed batteries.  If they are low then you can push the voltage up but if they are in an intermediate indeterminate state as with most small renewable energy systems then you don't know what to do. Playing safe can mean that the battery does not get a proper charge (I am told). The chargers typically found in our industry deliver the same "bulk" charge amperage from initiation of the recharge all the way to when the absorption voltage is reached. So...if you set that for a high value the same high rate would be present not only when the battery is highly depleted but also when the battery is approaching 80% state of charge. That seems scary to me. -- Hugh Piggott Scoraig Wind Electric Scotland http://www.scoraigwind.co.uk _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org

_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org